


Morgana Plays Matchmaker

by Kaseyboy



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dating, M/M, Matchmaking, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-15
Updated: 2014-03-15
Packaged: 2018-01-15 18:38:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1315132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaseyboy/pseuds/Kaseyboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Morgana runs a successful matchmaking business and is finally able to convince Arthur to let her set him up.  Arthur never expected to find love but that's exactly what happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Morgana Plays Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> I saw an episode of this reality show called "Millionaire Matchmaker" and that's where the idea for this story came from.
> 
> I want to thank Sydneygirl92 for being my beta. She really had her work cut out for her with this story. Thank you sis.

"Good morning everyone. I hope you all had a great weekend," Morgana cheerfully greeted her staff as she walked into the conference room. "I've got great news. We've got a new client coming in today that I'm VERY excited about...my brother Arthur!"

Morgana started 'Meet Your Mate' dating service two years ago and her business was thriving due to her rousing success at matchmaking. She catered to a very exclusive clientele, those who had a net worth of one million or more.

It seemed only natural that Morgana would fall into this line of work as she was constantly fixing up her friends and family from an early age. She claimed to be able to 'read' people and knew when two people were meant to be together. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Arthur was one of the few in Morgana's close circle that had refused to be set up by her. He thought his sister was full of rubbish and that he could and would find his true love on his own, without any help from her.

So Arthur dated, and dated, and dated some more and had many short-lived relationships but never felt that certain connection with anyone. He was ok with this though, even as, one by one, his friends slowly but surely began settling down, getting married and starting families, because he knew eventually he'd find someone. 

And besides, he always had Gwaine, one of the last holdouts amongst his friends who proclaimed his intention to forever remain a bachelor. Until the day Gwaine announced his engagement to Elena, a young woman he'd met only months before.

Arthur was fine being the only single guy in the group, even if he did always feel like the third wheel. But then he began to feel a twinge of loneliness, especially watching his mates with their significant others and seeing how happy they were, at least most of the time.

~~~~~~~~~~

Morgana had been pestering Arthur for months to let her set him up and finally he relented. He had nothing to lose after all. And at least it would get his sister off his back. Besides, who knew, maybe Morgana did know what she was doing and would be able to find him his soulmate.

Arthur showed up at Morgana's office at 1:00 as planned. She had him fill out a questionnaire the same as she had all her clients complete before she and two other staff members conducted an interview to find out what exactly Arthur was looking for in a potential mate.

Morgana already had a pretty good idea of Arthur's preferred type...blonde hair, big boobs, very attractive and thin...but that wasn't the type she 'saw' Arthur being happy with. She knew Arthur was bi-sexual but he didn't date men that often, finding it easier to approach women. But when he did date blokes, they tended to be blonde, very muscular, extremely handsome and taller than him. 

When questioned, Arthur said he'd be open to Morgana setting him up with both women and men but felt certain that he'd ultimately end up falling in love with a woman and starting a family. Morgana just smirked, she knew better.

~~~~~~~~~~

Morgana, Mithian and Gwen scoured their database for potential matches for Arthur and by Wednesday, they had what they felt was an outstanding crop of candidates. They started making calls to set up a mixer for Friday. This would allow Arthur to meet them as a group to see if there were any sparks, thus preventing him from having to go on countless dates that weren't going to lead anywhere anyway.

Morgana asked Gwen if she thought there was any way Merlin would consider attending because, from the first time she'd met Gwen's best friend, she felt certain that he would be perfect for Arthur. Gwen was skeptical that Merlin would agree, but with the offer of free food and drinks, Merlin reluctantly agreed to show up Friday evening.

~~~~~~~~~~

As Friday approached, Merlin began having second thoughts. He'd never done anything like this and was sorry he had agreed to it. He was sure he'd stand out like a sore thumb, being the awkward guy in a sea full of beautiful people. Plus, he'd heard enough about Arthur from Morgana that he had no real interest in even meeting him. 

But since he had promised the girls he'd come, he now was faced with the dilemma of what to wear. Merlin knew Arthur was a millionaire and felt certain that the other participants would be dressed to impress and his wardrobe was sadly lacking anything even remotely suitable. 

Gwen told him not to worry so much about it so Merlin dressed in his best pair of denims (one of only two pair that didn't have holes in them) and a light blue button up. He pulled on a navy jumper over top and after slipping into his black Converse sneakers, he deemed himself good as it was going to get. After one final check in the mirror before leaving his flat, he was really regretting not getting his hair trimmed.

~~~~~~~~~~

Morgana, Gwen and Mithian were waiting at the restaurant when Arthur showed up. As always, Arthur looked exceptional. He wore a well tailored pair of navy trousers, a crisp white button up and red tie. His hair, like the rest of him, was styled impeccably. 

As he approached his sister, he had a look of confidence. One thing that could be said about Arthur was that he was very sure of himself, to the point of arrogance. He knew he was good looking and very fit, had a great job, and had lots and lots of money. And yet, he was still single....huh?

Morgana pulled Arthur aside for a few quick words. "So, I'm not sure if you've ever heard me talk about Merlin before but I think you really should meet him."

"Wait...Merlin, seriously, his name is Merlin? Who names their kid after a wizard?"

"Arthur, knock it off! Merlin's a great guy and I'd like you to at least give him a chance. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say Morgana. You'll have to point him out to me though."

"Oh, I don't think that'll be necessary. You'll know him when you see him." 

Morgana headed into the banquet room. "Give me a minute to tout all your good qualities before you come in, ok?" Arthur nodded in agreement.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you all for coming this evening to meet tonight's bachelor, who also happens to be my brother, Arthur Pendragon. Arthur's 27 years old and works as a corporate attorney with the law firm of Pendragon and Pendragon, where he's also a partner. He's anxious to get a chance to meet with you all, but then he's going to narrow down his choices to three or four of you that he'd like to have a mini-date with. That will consist of a little one-on-one time where you'll be able to get better acquainted. Then Arthur will pick one, or more, of you that he'd like to take on a date. If everyone's ready, let's bring Arthur out."

When Arthur walked through the door, he's shocked at what a great job Morgan's done. He's looking out at a sea of blondes, good looking ones at that. Sure, there's a few brunettes and gingers tossed in there too, but he decided he'll give them a chance as well.

"Hello everyone." Arthur gives the crowd a smile. Gwen ushers him to the first group of girls gathered around a small table. As Arthur gets to know them, she spots Merlin, who looks as if he's trying to hide. 

"Come on, Merlin, how's he going to be able to meet you if you're standing way back here?" asks Gwen as she tugs Merlin's arm to get him to move away from his hiding spot.

"Maybe I don't want to meet him. Maybe I just came for the free food and drinks, did you ever think of that?" retorts Merlin as he tries to tug his arm back.

Gwen shoots him a look that says 'really, are you serious?'. 

"Have you looked around Gwen? This room is crawling with GORGEOUS people. He's going to think I just stumbled in off the street. And anyhow, he seems a bit of a prat to me so I don't much care to meet him anyway," Merlin says as he reaches for another glass of champaign from the passing waiter. 

"Will you at least say hi to him, please? Morgana really wants you two to meet."

"Gwen, looking around here, I'm guessing Arthur has a very specific type and I'm also pretty sure I'm not it. Can't I just sit quietly back here and observe?" inquires Merlin. 

"Sure, whatever. But I hope you're prepared for Morgana's wrath. I'm just sayin'," and Gwen nonchalantly walked away to mingle.

Merlin starts mumbling to himself "Well crap. Good job Merlin, you've really stepped in it this time. How am I suppose to get out of this now?"

And just as he's questioning himself, none other than Arthur comes to stand next to him. "I hope I'm not interrupting here but you do realize there's nobody there, right?"

"Yes, I am well aware of that. Thank you very much for your obstute observations though. I just happened to be having a conversation with the most intelligent bloke in the room," retorts Merlin.

This gets a chuckle out of Arthur. "Well, now, I'm guessing you can only be Merlin. Morgana said I wouldn't have any trouble picking you out."

"Is that suppose to be a good thing or bad thing?"

"The jury's still undecided. So, it's nice to see you really pulled out all the stops to look your best for me," joked Arthur.

At this, Merlin looked down at what he was wearing. "Wow, you really are as big an arse as Morgana said you were! I'll let you in on a little secret...not all of us can be born with a silver spoon in our mouths, or in your case, stuck up their arse, you spoiled arrogant prat!" Merlin turned abruptly to leave before Arthur caught his wrist so he couldn't storm off.

"I guess you've got a point there. I apologize for my rudeness."

"Alright, but maybe in the future you should actually think before you speak. And stop being such an insensitive jerk."

"Ok, ok, I get it. I'm an idiot. You actually look quite nice though." This got a small grin out of Merlin.

"So, um, seen any good movies lately?" Arthur tried.

"Is this your idea of small talk because if it is, you kinda suck at it." Merlin stated.

Arthur smirked at him before rolling his eyes but it was obvious he was enjoying this back and forth with Merlin. Arthur was so use to everyone kissing his arse and agreeing with everything he said that it was a refreshing change. They continued on, neither of them backing down. Morgana, dare he say, was right. He's glad he met Merlin.

~~~~~~~~~~

What neither Arthur nor Merlin realized was that both Morgana and Gwen were watching their interaction. The girls gave each other a knowing look because they knew the boys would hit it off. 

Certainly Merlin wasn't Arthur's usual type but something about him intrigued Arthur. He was gorgeous, in a rather unconventional way. He had amazing cheekbones and his lips were totally kissable, when he wasn't spewing nonsense out of them. His hair was a shaggy mess but Arthur thought it suited him well. And he could just catch a glimpse of his ears sticking out but found them oddly enough endearing.

All too soon, Gwen called Arthur away to meet some of the other guests so he excused himself and followed after her. Once more, Merlin started talking to himself. "Seriously, what a Prat, albeit a cute one. Morgana wasn't exaggerating about that at all." Wait, why was he still talking to himself? He really needed to break this habit, especially when he's out in public. 

So, the way Merlin saw it, he'd fulfilled his obligations to Gwen and Morgana and met Arthur, actually going so far as to have a conversation with the insufferable arse. There'd be no harm in making his escape now he thought. Unfortunately, Morgana must have read his mind because she grapped his arm and whispered, "don't even think about it. The evening's just begun."

~~~~~~~~~~

"It's that time of the evening now for Arthur to make his selections. He has picked three lucky guests to spend a little one-on-one time with and they are Percival, Sophia and Merlin."

Wait, what? Did he just hear right? Why on earth would Arthur ever pick him when clearly there were so many better suited for him. Maybe Morgana put him up to it but that didn't make sense. Arthur seemed too pig-headed to be talked into anything, especially by his sister.

~~~~~~~~~~

As Merlin was waiting his turn, with both trepidation and excitement in equal measures, he spotted Gwen, who quickly approached him. "See, I told you! Didn't I tell you! I knew you'd hit it off!" squealed Gwen.

"You and Morgana didn't have anything to do with him picking me, did you?"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous Merlin. Of course not. Just accept it, Arthur wants a chance to spend more time with you. I'm so excited!"

"If you say so" and Merlin went back to waiting.

~~~~~~~~~~

When it was Merlin's quality time with Arthur, Morgana led him into the lounge where Arthur was waiting. "Thanks Morgana but I can take it from here."

Immediately Arthur stood up and held out his hand to shake Merlin's, saying, "I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. So, I'm Arthur and it's very nice to make your acquaintance Merlin. Would you care to join me?" and he pulled out the seat for Merlin.

"Seriously, I'm not a girl you know," but when Merlin saw the pout forming on Arthur's face, he changed tactics and decided to play along. "The pleasure's all mine Arthur." 

"Please sit down, won't you."

"It'd be my honor," replied Merlin at which point both men broke out in hysterical laughter. 

"Ok, enough of that. So how exactly, Merlin, is it you know my sister?"

"Well, Gwen's my best friend and she introduced us. We all went out for drinks and we hit it off quite well actually. I don't really get to see her very often though, maybe just once or twice a month when we all meet up at the pub." 

"Wow, that's surprising. Morgana usually takes a long time to warm up to people."

"Obviously she could see right away just how special and charming I am," Merlin said with a big smile.

"Yeah, that must be it," joked Arthur.

"Anyhow, Morgana mentioned before that she thought I should meet you because she thought we'd get on. I had my doubts, especially after hearing so much about you, so they ultimately lured me here with the promise of free food and drinks."

"Well, I like your honesty Merlin. I'm glad your stomach won out and you decided to grace us with your presence. And just so you know, Morgana is not to be believed. She tends to make up shit, but don't tell her I said that."

"Shhhh, your secret's safe with me," Merlin whispered with a finger to his lips.

"Ok, what else? Any brothers or sisters?"

"Nope, I'm an only child. Mum said, and I quote, "You can't improve on perfection so why bother trying' so there you go."

"Oh. my. god. I see where you get your humor now."

"Hey, that wasn't meant to be funny. She was being dead serious I'll have you know!"

"Of course she was, Merlin, of course she was," chuckled Arthur. 

Arthur continued. "So, you never answered me before. What line of work are you in?"

"Oh, didn't Morgana tell you already? I'm a high-end rentboy."

Arthur sputtered, his champaign leaking down his chin. "Seriously? Are you being serious? Because I really need to know if you're being serious right now."

"No, Arthur, I am NOT being serious. I was just having you on. Anyway, if I was a rentboy, I'm quite sure I'd starve to death."

"Ok, yeah, I knew that. I was just playing along."

"Sure you were Arthur, sure you were. Anyhow, I just graduated from Uni and am working as a free-lance writer right now. I'd like to find something more steady but for now, this is paying the bills, well, mostly paying the bills so I can't complain."

"So that makes you, what, about twenty-two?"

"Just turned twenty-three a few weeks back," Merlin smiled.

"Well, happy belated birthday," and Arthur raised his glass to toast Merlin.

~~~~~~~~~~

Their time together had drawn to a close and as Merlin got up to leave the table, he tripped over his own foot, at which point Arthur started snickering.

"You didn't see that. Nope, there is nothing to see here. I'll just be going now." Merlin rushed out of the room, face burning scarlet.

~~~~~~~~~~

By the end of the evening, it was clear to Morgana who Arthur was going to choose to go on a date with. Arthur approached her and she smirked, giving him an 'I told you so' look that he really hated. 

"Morgana, I'm well aware you're about to say something snarky right now but I assure you all I'll be hearing is 'blah blah blah' so can we just get on with it."

"But of course Arthur. So can I go make the announcement and send everyone on there way then?"

~~~~~~~~~~

Once Morgana called Merlin as Arthur's choice, the crowd began heading for the doors. Arthur looked around at the few remaining stragglers until he locked eyes with Merlin and walked over to him. "So, what do you think? Would you like to go out with me?"

Gwen and Morgana anxiously waited for Merlin's reply. "Let's see, you insulted me, you're arrogant and conceited, and I suspect you may be a bit of a bully, who could say no to that? But sure, Arthur, I will go out with you."

~~~~~~~~~~

When they found themselves alone together as the evening was winding down, Arthur said, "I hope it's ok that I picked you." 

"Sure, that's fine. But can you just answer me one question: why did you choose me? After looking around that room, I'm guessing I'm not your usual type."

Arthur took a minute to think through his response. "Well, no, I guess you're not my usual type. But maybe that's what drew me to you. There's just something about you that made me want to get to know you better. Kinda corny, huh?"

"Oh, totally corny!" joked Merlin.

"Very funny. I'm trying to be serious here. At first, it was your physical appearance that caught my eye and then you opened your mouth and ruined that. But then you smiled at me while nattering on like an idiot and I just knew I wanted to get to know you better."

"Thanks, I think."

~~~~~~~~~~

It was just past ten when Merlin woke up on Saturday. Had he really agreed to go on a date with Morgana's rich-arse brother? Merlin couldn't help hoping that Arthur had come to his senses and changed his mind about taking Merlin out because he wasn't in the mood for anymore insults.

No such luck, as, not five minutes later, Merlin's phone beeped with an incoming text. Apparently sometime during the evening, Arthur had commandeered his phone and added his own name to Merlin's contacts so it was clearly identified who the message was from.

Arthur: good morning sunshine :)

Merlin: wow, what r u, a teenage girl?

Arthur: haha, i was trying to be nice

Merlin: right, sorry. did u need something?

Arthur: i wanted 2 no if we were still on for our big date

Merlin: i guess so

Arthur: try to contain ur enthusiasm M

Merlin: sure A, where will u b taking me & when

Arthur: I was hoping u'd be free this afternoon? & as 4 the where, that's a surprise

Merlin: i loath surprises

Arthur: u'll like this 1

Merlin: .....

Arthur: M, u still there?

Merlin: i'm thinking

Arthur: oh, u make it 2 easy sometimes but i'll refrain from the obvious

Merlin: lol. so where shall we meet?

Arthur: oh no, M, this is a proper date. I'll b picking u up @ ur door & everything

Merlin: as i told u b4, im not a GIRL, u no that right?

Arthur: oh, im WELL aware of that. so we're on?

Merlin: on 2 conditions...u cant rag on me about where i live & u cant rag on me about what i'm wearing. do u agree 2 these terms?

Arthur: sure M, not a problem. I'll b by 2 pick u up about 3. Morgana gave me ur address already.

Merlin: ok, c u later

Arthur: im looking 4ward 2 it ;)

Merlin: dork

~~~~~~~~~~

At exactly 3 o'clock, Arthur was standing outside Merlin's door in a building that he was certain should have been condemned ages ago. And was that a mouse that just ran across the hallway?!? Well, this certainly explained why Merlin made him promise not to say anything about where he lived. 

Just as Arthur reached his hand up to knock, Merlin opened the door and quickly slipped out into the hallway, pulling his door closed behind him.

"So, I see you were really anxious to see me."

"I saw you pull up outside and as you may have noticed, this isn't exactly the safest of neighborhoods so I'm not too sure how long your expensive auto will last out there."

"Good point. I guess we should get going then," at which point Arthur rested his palm on the small of Merlin's back, guiding him toward the stairs.

Merlin felt warm all over but willed himself not to blush. Arthur opened the car door for Merlin before climbing in his side. "Very gentlemanly of you Arthur."

"I'll have you know I have impeccable manners Merlin." Merlin just smirked.

"So where are you taking me?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Just relax and enjoy the ride. We'll be there soon."

Merlin did just that. They bantered and joked until Arthur slowed his car down in front of some well-kept barns, and when Merlin looked up, he saw the sign 'Pendragon Stables'.

"Ummm, Arthur, what are we doing here?" Merlin asked nervously.

"I thought I'd take you horseback riding and then we could have a picnic afterwards. Why, is that a problem? Why do you suddenly look so pale?"

"Ok, so if you hadn't noticed already, I can be a little uncoordinated and clumsy sometimes."

"No, you don't say," Arthur replied sarcastically.

"Very funny. Anyhow, the one and only time I've ever been on a horse, well, ok, so maybe it was actually a pony, but I kinda sorta fell off and broke my arm. But in my defense, he was a BIG pony, as far as ponies go."

Arthur started laughing so hard he actually was shaking, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Hey, stop laughing, it's not funny! I was only little and it was traumatizing!" But even Merlin couldn't keep it together, realizing how ridiculous that sounded.

"Oh Merlin, I am so keeping you, if for no other reason than to provide comic relief!" snorted Arthur.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was a full ten minutes before Arthur was able to settle down and pull himself back together. He ducked inside the stables and came back a few minutes later, leading two horses behind him.

"Merlin, I'd like you to meet Jet and Parker" and Arthur turned to introduce the horses. "I had the stable-hands saddle up Parker for you because he's the calmest, most docile horse we have. And Jet's been my horse forever. I got him for my sixteenth birthday and even got to help break him." 

"You know, this may not be such a good idea." Merlin chomped down on his bottom lip.

"It's going to be fine Merlin, I promise. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you. Trust me?"

"Yeah, oddly enough, I do trust you. So what are we waiting for, let's get the show on the road." 

~~~~~~~~~~

Arthur was behind Merlin before he knew what was happening. The next thing he knew, he felt Arthur's hands around his waist as he helped him up into the saddle. So far so good. 

Once more Merlin started talking to himself, 'you can do this, just breathe, you got this, come on Merlin, man up.'

Arthur looked over and quirked his eyebrow.

"What? It helps. You should try it sometime."

"And yet, I think I'll pass. I have enough other people to talk to that I don't need to resort to holding long-winded conversations with myself," but Arthur said it in a manner that made Merlin grin.

"Of course you do, your highness," and Merlin did a mock bow as best he could from his saddle.

"You're sooo clever Merlin. Are you ready to head out?"

"Yeah, let's go."

~~~~~~~~~~

Much to Arthur's surprise and delight, Merlin managed to stay in his saddle while Arthur led them over trails at a brisk pace. Merlin seemed to really be enjoying himself. 

"It's really beautiful out here," proclaimed Merlin.

"If you think this is nice, just wait til you see what I have waiting for us over this next hill," Arthur told Merlin as they made their way up the final ridge.

As they crested the hill, Arthur heard Merlin gasp. Before them laid a beautiful lake but what really caught Merlin's attention was what was set up on the bank. There was a blanket spread out with more food than Merlin could eat in a week. There was wine, candles and a bouquet of fresh roses.

"Wow! You did all this?"

"Well, I must admit I had a bit of help setting it up but other than that, it was all me."

"This is INCREDIBLE! I can't believe you did all this," Merlin exclaimed as he clumsily made his way out of his saddle.

Arthur escorted him over to the blanket where they sat to enjoy their elaborate feast.

"Yeah, so, I just wanted to do something nice to show you I'm not always the arse you think I am. I think once you get to really know me, you might even decide you fancy me."

"I think you might be right," Merlin replied as he gave him a shy smile.

Just as they were finishing up, the sun began to set over the lake, casting a golden glow on it's surface. "I think this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Merlin said in a hushed tone.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I rather like the view I'm looking at more." Merlin looked over at Arthur in confusion but saw that Arthur was staring at him as he'd said that.

Who knew Arthur could be so romantic. Merlin gave him a big smile and that was all the encouragement Arthur needed before he closed the gap between them to give Merlin a wet kiss that started out innocently enough but soon became much more heated.

When they pulled apart, Merlin looked at Arthur in awe. Well this was definitely a side of Arthur that he hadn't seen, and quite frankly, he was hoping to see more of it. Arthur pulled Merlin back against him as they continued to enjoy the sunset, Arthur reaching around to intertwine his fingers with Merlin's.

They stayed a while longer enjoying each other's company but as night approached, Arthur pulled Merlin to his feet and back over to their horses so they could head back.

"I had a hard enough time riding in the daylight, you honestly think I'm going to be able to stay on this horse in this light?"

"Well, considering the stables are practically within sight, I think you'll be fine."

"Wait, what? We must have rode miles to get here."

"Yes, but I was just stalling and taking the scenic route. I didn't want to get here to early because then we'd have missed the sunset," admitted Arthur.

"Why Arthur, you sly bastard. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you put a lot of thought into this date."

"Only the best for you baby," joked Arthur which got him a shove from Merlin.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you need help getting up or can you do it?" inquired Arthur as Merlin went to mount his horse.

"I got this," boasted Merlin, who then proceeded to fall backwards into Arthur. 

Arthur just quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, it certainly looks like you got this." He then turned Merlin around in his arms to give him a quick peck on the lips before helping him up on his horse.

"My hero," Merlin said as he looked at Arthur, batting his eyelashes.

"Idiot," was Arthur's response but there was no heat in it and both started laughing.

~~~~~~~~~~

After leaving the horses at the stables, they drove back to Merlin's flat. Before he got out of the car, Merlin turned to him. "Thank you for the wonderful day. In fear of inflating your already inflated ego, this was, hands down, the best date I've ever been on."

"I'm glad to hear it. So, does that mean you'll go out with me again?"

"Let me think about it....yes, of course, I'd like that very much," and they leaned across the seats for one last kiss.

"I'll text you tomorrow and we can set something up," Arthur said as he reluctantly pulled away.

~~~~~~~~~~

Arthur did text Merlin the next day and they went to the park to toss a frisbee around, which only served to highlight Merlin's lack of coordination. But they had fun and went to dinner afterwards, which was followed by many more dinners in the days to come.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was two weeks since their first date and already they were thick as thieves. Both soon realized they had many mutual friends in common and met up with them one night at the pub.

Morgana was there and couldn't help but gloat. "Next time, you should really listen to me, Arthur."

"Oh, Morgana, I don't think there's going to be a next time," Arthur smiled at her.

Morgana was momentarily stunned by Arthur's statement, but then again, she'd never seen Arthur as comfortable around anyone as he was with Merlin.

~~~~~~~~~~

Three months after they started dating, Arthur told Merlin he loved him over a romantic candlelight dinner. 

"I need to tell you something Merlin," started Arthur.

Merlin immediately became on edge. Was Arthur going to break up with him? Was he seeing someone else on the side? Arthur saw the worried look on Merlin's face so he reached across the table to hold his hand in a way he hoped was reassuring.

"Hey, it's nothing bad. Well, at least I hope it's not." Arthur cleared his throat nervously before continuing. "What I wanted to tell you was that I love you."

The biggest, brightest smile broke across Merlin's face that could have lit the night sky.

Arthur took that as a good sign so he continued. "Actually, I think I fell a little in love with you the first time we met. Nobody has ever challenged me or gotten under my skin like you have but I'm finding I quite like that about you. You don't put up with my shit and you keep me in line."

Ok, thought Arthur, he's still smiling so he continued.

"I think you're smart and funny and sarcastic and witty and nobody makes me laugh like you do. You're beautiful, inside and out, and I find you irresistibly adorable, even with the oversized ears." At this, Merlin started to laugh because he knew Arthur secretly worshipped said ears.

"So, what I'm trying to get at, is...Merlin, would you please move in with me?" Arthur reached into his pocket to pull out a keychain that he'd had specially engraved with Merlin's name. A key to his flat was dangling from it.

Merlin took the keychain to examine it. "Pretty sure of yourself, huh?"

"Wishful thinking," responded Arthur.

"If you're quite through with your nattering, I also have a confession to make. I've loved you from the moment I met you. I never believed in love at first sight until I saw you. I fought it tooth and nail but I guess you just wore me down. You're gorgeous and fit and snarky and everything I could ever ask for in a boyfriend. So to answer your question, yes, I'd love to move in with you!"

At this point, Merlin got up to give Arthur a hug and kiss, which turned a little more intense than was normally considered appropriate in a public setting. It was a good thing Arthur had reserved them a table in the back away from everyone else.

"So I'm thinking we have you packed up and out of your rat-infested flat first thing in the morning."

"Hey, you promised not to dig on my place....."

~~~~~~~~~~

And so it went on. Merlin moved in with Arthur the next day. Arthur was pretty sure that Merlin would say yes because he had organized all their friends to help out with the move. Merlin filled Arthur's spacious flat with not only his belongings, but also with his love and laughter. 

Their friends always commented about what a great match they were, that they brought out the best in each other, and they could only smile and nod at that.

Of course, Morgana knew, Arthur knew, and Merlin knew that it was all thanks to her and her impressive matchmaking skills.


End file.
